will i still be able to drive 7.5 lorry?

[HazyXmas]

Please can someone help clarify the new law on driving a 7.5 ton horse lorry.

I have been looking to purchase a new lorry since i sold my old Iveco in December. I have finally found a 1999 Iveco that i like & think that it will do the job. I called a local mechanic to come & check it over for me but am now really worried as he has told me that even though i have been driving a lorry for six years now, i will still have to do 35 hours training before Sept 2014 to be able to get a CPC & legally carry on driving. He says that the price of 7.5 lorries will drop dramatically!

Can anyone help? I passed my test in 1989 so thought that i could tow & drive 7.5 ton automatically.

Many thanks.

 

[SpottedCat]

No, your CPC is only if you are driving commercially. Look at the bottom of this page - as long as you do not drive professionally then you do not need CPC.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_171186

 

[ROG]

There are quite a few people about who are confused about the newish Driver CPC law either because they have not read the rules properly or they have but do not understand them or they have listened to gossip.

Put simply - driver cpc is not required for the private driving of LGVs

LGV = any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes plated weight with less than 10 total seats

The driving licence and the driver cpc are totally seperate issues